Sunday, October 10, 2010

Ok, here's how you shine it up to make it more realistic (my changes in bold):

1) Add a city & news wire service name before the opening paragraph:

2) Link a related story.

Protesters at Capital Demand Umbrellas

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) - Protesters this weekend at the capital were surprised and alarmed when the usually sunny skies opened up into an afternoon of torrential rains.

Calls were made to local authorities by some of the disgruntled protesters, claiming President Bush was infringing on their right to a peaceful protest, claiming that, "The government has ways to make it rain all of a sudden."

Much confusion then ensued, as authorities ignored calls for help from these young protesters, demanding that it stop raining, or at the very least, there should be "Emergency Umbrellas" supplied to them. They were unfairly left on the steps to "get the chills", and other various things that happen to people who stand out in the rain for long periods of time.

3) Use the name of a famous protester and attribute the quote to that person.

Cindy Sheehan met with media on Monday to make a public statement about the events:

4) Throw in a "said [spokesman]" or some description "said the angry gold-star mother" in each paragraph the way a real reporter would do:

"We are disappointed at the lack of help from authorities in our time of need," said Sheehan. "We were in danger, and no one came to help. It is a sad day in America, when free speech is hampered by the government. If they would have brought us some warm tea, and an umbrella for everyone, we would have had a lot more energy for sign waving, Bush bashing, and other important things. Instead, we had to spend the day freezing cold, worrying about lightning, hail, and our hemp shoes falling apart from standing in puddles. We were not prepared to deal with that kind of weather.